The grading system is as follows: A (4.0), Excellent; B (3.0), Good; C (2.0), Fair; D (1.0), Poor; F (0.0), Failure. A course in which an F is obtained must be taken again; however, the F will remain on the student’s transcript until the course has been satisfactorily completed with a passing grade. In accordance with SEAS policy, “No grade lower than a ‘C-’ will be counted in courses designated as ‘core’ courses or those courses must be retaken.” Courses for which a passing grade was obtained cannot be retaken for credit.

MSE students in Engineering are expected to maintain at least a B- average (2.7 GPA) in their work. A student whose record falls below a B- average will be put on academic probation and may be required to withdraw; graduation requires a B- average (2.7 GPA) minimum.

An incomplete (I) or a no report (NR) are temporary notations and students are allowed a period of one semester to clear. Failure to clear an “incomplete” or “no report” within the allotted time will result in an automatic grade of F. No students will be permitted to graduate if there are any Incomplete, Unsatisfactory, or No Report notations on their records. A student with 2 Incompletes in a single semester will be placed on academic probation.

Students with an incomplete grade, or who are put on academic probation, should work with the Graduate Program Coordinator to create a plan for either resolving the incomplete grades, or for improving their GPA.

Each MEAM student is expected to abide by Penn’s Code of Academic Integrity. Students should not knowingly use any dishonest method to gain an unfair advantage over other students in academic pursuits, especially through, but not limited to:

• Giving or receiving any unauthorized aid on an assignment or exam, including working in groups on any assignment that has been designated as individual by the instructor;
• Misrepresenting the originality of one’s work (plagiarism), particularly through direct copying of work and also through failing to note the contributions of others, except as permitted by the instructor;
• Submitting substantially the same work for credit in more than one class, except with prior approval of the instructor.

If there is any doubt as to what is permissible, it is the student’s responsibility to ask the instructor. Students caught cheating will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include referral to the Office of Student Conduct. For more information, please see the Student Guide on Academic Integrity.

MEAM MSE students may apply credit for up to two graduate level courses taken at institutions other than Penn (transfer courses) toward their MSE degree. Transfer courses must be graduate level courses in which at least a B grade has been earned. Transfer credit will only be considered for courses taken prior to matriculation into the University of Pennsylvania’s MEAM MSE program, as Penn graduate students may not be enrolled in two schools at once.

Courses will not be allowed to be transferred if they were taken from an on-campus certificate program, a study abroad program, or from an online program. Per University policy, courses counted towards an undergraduate degree will not be considered for graduate credit. Courses taken during an approved and awarded accelerated master’s program may be considered if the courses were only counted towards the graduate degree. Courses are held to a time limit of five (5) years from the date the course was taken.

To obtain credit for courses taken at other institutions, students need to take the following steps:

• For each transfer course, obtain the course description and the title of the textbook used in the course.
• Identify and contact a professor who teaches a similar course at Penn. If a similar course is not offered at Penn, identify and contact a professor whose areas of expertise are in the general area of the course to be transferred. The professor will need to certify that the course is of similar level to an existing graduate course offered at Penn.

Submit a petition, which requires the Penn professor’s signature, to the Graduate Program Coordinator, who will convey it to the Master’s Program Chair for approval. Attach to the petition a copy of the student’s final transcript from the other institution.

Continuous registration as a graduate student is required unless a formal Leave of Absence is granted by the Dean of the School of Engineering. Approved Leaves of Absences may last up to two years. Please refer to the Penn Engineering Graduate Student Handbook for more information about requesting a Leave of Absence.

The maximum time allowed for the completion of all MSE requirements is seven years. Course units that are older than seven years may not be counted toward the degree requirements.

Students may enroll in a Dual Major or Degree program. MEAM students doing a secondary MSE program in another Penn Engineering discipline (see list below) will receive a single MSE degree with 2 majors—a Dual Major. Students doing a secondary program in a non-MSE Penn Engineering degree (see list below) will receive a Dual Degree. All Dual Programs require the completion of at least 16 CUs and satisfactory completion of the degree requirements of both programs. Students may double count up to 4 CUs between the two programs. Dual Programs typically require five or six semesters (3 years) to complete.

Penn Engineering students may apply for a Dual Program after completing at least one full semester (3 CUs) with a minimum GPA of 3.50. Students need to meet with the MEAM MSE Program Coordinator and the Master’s Program Coordinator of the second program prior to submitting their Dual Program application. Students should refer to Penn Engineering’s Graduate Student Handbook for more information and instructions on how to apply.

MEAM MSE students may not do a Dual Major combining MEAM and ROBO MSE degrees. MEAM MSE students interested in doing a Dual Program should consult with the other program’s Master’s Coordinator to review any specific requirements or deadlines that program may have.

Penn Engineering Master’s Degree Programs

Master’s of Science in Engineering Programs (MSE)

• Bioengineering
• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• Computer Graphics and Game Technology
• Computer and Information Science
• Data Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Integrated Product Design
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
• Nanotechnology
• Robotics
• Scientific Computing
• Systems Engineering 

Other Master’s Programs

• Biotechnology (MBIOT)
• Computer and Information Technology (MCIT)
• Integrated Product Design (MIPD)

Penn Engineering has dual degree agreements with several of Penn’s other schools, including the Wharton School. Students interested in these programs should refer to Penn Engineering’s Graduate Student Handbook for more information and instructions on how to apply. Students should note that some programs require separate applications for their respective programs before approving the dual degree and may not show preference for current Penn students in their admissions process.

Students interested in doing a Dual Degree with a program not listed in the Penn Engineering Graduate Student Handbook have the option to do an uncoordinated dual degree, but this is the equivalent of simply doing a second Master’s degree. Students will need to independently apply to the other program.

MEAM MSE students may request a transfer to another Engineering Master’s Program after completing at least one full-time semester (3+ CU’s) by submitting the Master’s Program Transfer form. Students need to meet with the MEAM MSE Program Coordinator and the Master’s Program Coordinator of the new program prior to submitting their transfer request for consideration.

Completed applications should be submitted no later than the course selection deadline (first two weeks or 14 days of a semester) of the student’s third semester. A student cannot request to transfer in their final semester. Candidates are expected to have the appropriate background for the master’s program they are requesting to transfer into. Specific programs may have additional or particular requirements for internal transfers.

Each student is only allowed to submit one transfer application during their studies at Penn Engineering. Transferring master’s programs is not guaranteed. MEAM MSE students are ineligible to transfer into the ROBO MSE program.

MSE students interested in pursuing a PhD after completing their MSE degree program should apply via the regular PhD application process by the posted deadline. Current students will receive an application fee waiver and can request that official transcripts and test scores be transferred from their master’s application to their PhD application.

Unless differently specified in the MEAM MSE Student Handbook, the MEAM Master’s Degree program follows the policies of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Please reference the SEAS Graduate Student Handbook for general policies for MEAM MSE students.